Thursday, November 8, 2018

Cindy or Lisa? Let’s Play “Know Your Eilbachers”

Here is one more reason the
Comfort TV era was better: it had more Eilbachers.

From 1964 to 1990, viewers
grew accustomed to seeing sisters Cindy and Lisa Eilbacher pop up on a wide
range of classic shows and made-for-TV movies.

I’ve always been intrigued
by their background, as the Eilbacher family was fairly well-to-do: unlike many
child stars of that era, the kids didn’t have to go to work
to keep the mortgage paid. Their father was a top oil company executive, which
explains why both sisters were born in Saudi Arabia. They spent their early
childhood in Paris before moving to Beverly Hills. Not bad.

If I were forced to pick a
favorite I’d go with Lisa, the older of the siblings by two years. She’s also
probably the better-known of the two because of a pair of memorable movie
roles: as the naval cadet who couldn’t get over that wall in An Officer and a Gentleman, and as Eddie
Murphy’s friend in Beverly Hills Cop.

Cindy never found that
signature role that resonated in the pop culture memory beyond its original
broadcast. But I was still always happy to see her guest star in a favorite
series.

They worked together twice,
playing sisters both times: first in a 1971 episode of Alias Smith and Jones (“The Posse That Wouldn’t Quit”), and later
in the notorious 1974 TV movie Bad Ronald.
It ranked #90 in my book, What Were They
Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History, but after that book
was published I quickly discovered what a huge cult following it still has.

It’s sad they are not
better remembered now, though I guess it’s not surprising as Cindy’s last
credit was in 1987, and Lisa’s was in 1996. They don’t appear at nostalgia shows
or even maintain Facebook pages. But as long as the splendid old shows are
playing somewhere, they’ll remain part of our precious television heritage.

How well do you know your
Eilbachers? Let’s find out. If you want to guess, scroll down slowly so you
don’t reveal the answer at the same time as the question.

1. Which Eilbacher used her
photographic memory to help Wonder Woman capture a casino operator with ties to
the mob?

Answer

Cindy

“Skateboard Wiz” (1978) was
a great time-capsule episode of Wonder
Woman. It featured a skateboard competition (and possibly the first look at
a half-pipe in classic TV), and an arcade filled with early video
games (Sea Wolf!). Cindy played Jamie, a pigtailed teenage skateboarder: her
stunt scenes were handled so well that it’s hard to believe that’s not her on
the board.

2. Which Eilbacher was
Richie’s date to a sock hop in the first season of Happy Days?

Answer

Cindy

In “The Lemon,” Richie and
Potsie buy an old clunker to impress their dates, with predictable results. This
episode aired four years before her Wonder Woman appearance, but Cindy seems
far more mature here as a teenage temptress.

3. Which Eilbacher starred
in one of TV’s most famous sitcom flops, My
Mother the Car?

Answer

Cindy

Yes, Cindy again- just to frustrate those who guessed a Lisa
show had to be next. She played Cindy Crabtree, daughter of Dave and Barbara
(Jerry Van Dyke and Maggie Pierce). Just eight years old, she was featured in
the episode “When You Wish Upon a Car,” which was about as good as this show
got.

4. Which Eilbacher played
Callie Shaw, sidekick to Frank and Joe Hardy in The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew
Mysteries?

Answer

Lisa

She appeared in six series
episodes and was always an attractive and enthusiastic member of the sleuthing
team. It was also a refreshing change to keep the trio as friends and not
introduce a romance with Frank or Joe to disrupt the camaraderie. I wish they
had kept Callie around for the entire series. And it’s a shame she never got to
meet Nancy Drew.

5. Which Eilbacher played
kidnapped socialite Patty Hearst in a 1979 Made-for-TV movie?

Answer

Lisa

While it as certainly one
of her most significant roles, The
Ordeal of Patty Hearst told its story more from the perspective of the FBI
agent working the Hearst kidnapping, played here by Dennis Weaver.

6. Which Eilbacher’s first
professional credit was as Kimmie in the 1965 Bewitched episode “Eye of the Beholder”?

Answer

Cindy

In her one scene, Kimmie is
a cute little neighbor girl who picks up a heavy wheelbarrow that Darrin
(zapped by Endora’s witchcraft) couldn’t budge. It’s of the series’ very best
episodes.

7. Which Eilbacher Played
Vicki, who was envious of Marcia being asked out by smarmy big man on campus
Doug Simpson in the memorable Brady Bunch
episode “The Subject was Noses”?

Answer

Lisa

It’s an unexceptional part
in an exceptional episode, but she does what she can with it. If you’ve seen
Lisa Eilbacher in other TV appearances, where she always appears petite next to
her costars, you may be surprised as I was at how she’s nearly a head taller
than Maureen McCormick here. Maybe Marcia only looks tall standing next to
Jan and Cindy.

8. Which Eilbacher played
Dr. Ingrid Sorenson in the short-lived series Ryan’s
Four (1983)?

Answer

Lisa

I don’t recall watching
this series, but from the opening credits it appears to have an interesting
cast, and likely represented Lisa’s best shot at series stardom.

9. Which Eilbacher attended
ballet class with Buffy on Family Affair?

Answer

Cindy

“Ballerina Buffy” is
another first-season episode that explores the understandable separation
anxiety felt by little kids after their family home is uprooted – as well as
the mistakes that are made by uncles who don’t yet know how to be good parents.
You should be able to spot Cindy right away – decked out in red, standing
behind Buffy at the barre.

10. Which Eilbacher was
rescued by Captain Marvel on the Saturday morning series Shazam!?

Answer

Both!

We end with a trick question,
as both Eilbachers appeared in separate episodes of this short-lived series. In
“The Doom Buggy,” Lisa plays the girlfriend of a high school dropout who gets
lost in the desert. In “The Odd Couple,” it takes both Captain Marvel and Isis
to save Cindy and her equally misguided boyfriend after they get lost in a
forest. How is the Big Red Cheese going to vanquish Dr. Sivana when all these
teenagers can’t find their way home?

And if you’d like some
Eilbacher extra credit, you’ll find one or the other in episodes of My Three Sons, The Waltons, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Green Acres, Hawaii Five-O,
It Takes a Thief, That Girl, Police Story and The Streets
of San Francisco. IMDB has all the details. Happy hunting.

I didn't know that was Lisa E. in that role from "An Officer and a Gentleman". I don't remmember her character's name either, but she was my favorite character from the movie, as I could relate to her struggles. I also like how she referred to her DI as "Sir" to thank him, and as he's saluting her, as she and all the others who finished boot camp now outrank him, he says something like "That's Sergeant, Ensign".

RYAN'S FOUR did have a great cast. Tom Skerritt was about to hit it big, as he seemed like the busiest actor in Hollywood for a few years after he was in "Top Gun" in 1986. Tim Daly was James' son and is Tyne's brother, who starred in the NBC reboot of THE FUGITIVE from 1993 or so, and it's good to see Dirk Blocker in another series, as I only remember him from BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP.

David, this is the second time one of my screencaps from Fire-Breathing Dimetrodon Time has shown up at your site without a citation. I wouldn't mind if you'd either asked or provided credit and a link. How about it?

Hi - my apologies. I did not take the image from your blog, but from a search engine photo search. The photo was not labeled there as to its source. Please let me know which one it is and I will remove it. Thanks!

But if you’re using Google Images or whatever instead of making your own caps, it only takes a minute to cite the originator of the image and link them. We all appreciate traffic and credit. Just share it when it’s not your own work.